LANDLORDS SAFETY CHECK

[ChrisR]

Fair-ish enough.

You're right I didn't know about the air change thing, ta for that.

 

[newblokeonthekid]

I do a fair number of lgsi for letting agencies. To be competitive the agencies never want you to cost their landlords money, so they never want anything serviced until it is "at risk", or repaired or brought up to standard until it has to.
With fires, outset - they come off the wall, the closure plate comes off, if it's a lined chimney with a metal back box I may leave it on and inspect the flue with my torch and inspection mirror, if I do this I also have a good look at the effectiveness of the existing tape.
If there is dirt in the catchment area I never remove it (I'm inspecting not servicing), it's usually ntcs, or if too much debris "at risk". Of course the closure plate is always taped up afterwards with new tape.
(I've seen a few where the gas fire is sitting on a 70s style wooden fire surround and the closure plate is fitted to the face of the back of the fire surround, allowing the flue to pull all around the perimeter of the fire surround.)
Inset fires - I try never to remove these as I reckon pulling them out every year would cause more problems than it's worth. I drop my mini-mitylite down the back on a piece of string and have a look with my inspection mirror, I look at the flue similarly.
OF gas fires are by far the biggest problem area, as a result I knock back or cap lots. Some because they have been fitted by boneheads. Some are faulty. Some through lack of servicing. Some because the flue is not performing well; I don't get involved in finding out why as I do not repair flues, I'm only there to inspect and report.
I can't say if my approach is the same as most others but hopefully the original poster can take something from this.

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

I have a simple rule which is, no service no certificate, in case that is too complicated for some people I will put it clearer, if I dont service the appliance at the same time I wont do a certificate, this is to make as sure as possible that everything is as safe as possible year in year out.
I dont work at student premises as they are mostly filthy dirty animals with craapp everywhere,or are not in on day arranged, or still in bed, or the gas meter is in a different room which nobody has the key for, I also dont work for foreign landlords as they seem to miraculously loose the ability to understand english and simple gas regs and when some rectification work is required and particularly when it comes to paying the bill, bollllockkks to all of them, they get what they deserve.

 

[HARALIAN]

Hear Hear PVMan

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

My rule is not to work for someone even a fellow countryman who wont share a bacon sandwich with me unless they pay me cash up front

 

[ChrisR]

newblokeonthekid
Do you screw the bloody things to the wall so they're "secure" as required? Than if you unscrew them the plugs often can't be re-used.

Suppose it's the tenants own fire, what would you do then? I stop at spillage test (never any Instrs of course)

I still question how much anyone can see of the flue with a torch and mirror.


Did one the other day where the old gaffer tape (it hadn't been off the wall in 12 years of LGSR's) pulled a load of plaster off the wall. I couldn't be arsed to At Risk it so taped it all back on again

Went to another one where the guy reckoned his own fire (not landlords)had been serviced. He was sitting in front of it with red eyes and a headache. The flames were all yellow. It was easier to take the front off than ID it. SHowed him all the fluff and told him to hoover it. Big change and a grateful bloke.

 

[DRM]

Although of course the closure plate is not is a safety component, its role is purely to restrict air changes in the room.

A correctly sealed closure plate is a crucial component of an outset gas fire. When correctly fitted as per the manufacturer's instructions it seals the builder's opening so that any updraft is controlled and allowed to enter the chimney only through the appliance or through the specified air relief opening.
This is why standard outset gas fires do not normally require permanent air vents whereas DFE's generally do.

 

[ollski]

Although of course the closure plate is not is a safety component, its role is purely to restrict air changes in the room.

A correctly sealed closure plate is a crucial component of an outset gas fire. When correctly fitted as per the manufacturer's instructions it seals the builder's opening so that any updraft is controlled and allowed to enter the chimney only through the appliance or through the specified air relief opening.
This is why standard outset gas fires do not normally require permanent air vents whereas DFE's generally do.

Yes I have tried to explain my reasoning 9 posts up

 

[croydoncorgi]

Flue inspection as part of LGSC is all well & good, as long as you allow yourself some slack in the billing!

I had to get at the flue of a Cannon LFE the other week - not as it happens to do a LGSC but to extract a large pigeon which had been dumb enough to fall down the (terminal-less) chimney.

Fact is that on this particular model you have to release steel draw-wires which hold the firebox onto the back wall of the opening. Coals out, bed out, disconnect gas, remove burner, undo wires, pull out fire. Remove pigeon (cross as hell! without letting it fly around the living room.) or inspect and smoke-test flue. Then reassemble fire. I defy anyone to do that, reconnect, leak test and re-check burn and pressures in less than an hour. That's ONE appliance on the LGSC!

 

[newblokeonthekid]

Chris, if it is screwed to the wall before I start, that's how it ends up when I'm finished. Generally fires are on 4 feet, if they are not screwed to the wall but stable, that's ok with me. Are they now NTCS if they are freestanding?

I've never knowingly come across a tenant's own fire during a lgsi (cookers yes), I'd just do a spillage test probably, at least that would tell me if the flue was effective.

I think I can see as well and as much of the flue with a torch and an inspection mirror as I can with a torch and my eyes. I'm not saying it's as easy, it just takes a little longer to adjust to what you are seeing.

I don't know anyone who follows a flue up through a tenament or flats, I know thats what we are supposed to do but it's not realistic or reasonable, and is common practise not to be done, so I'd hope if it ever went to court that it could be defended from one of these angles. If I can get access to the loft space I'll happily check that, but trying to get lots of people to simultaneously let you mooch arond in their flat is not a goer. It must be fun saying what WILL be done, and you WILL follow the rules, but if it can't be done then that's not my problem if I can show it can't be done.

 

[htgeng]

I have a simple rule which is, no service no certificate, in case that is too complicated for some people I will put it clearer, if I dont service the appliance at the same time I wont do a certificate, this is to make as sure as possible that everything is as safe as possible year in year out.
I dont work at student premises as they are mostly filthy dirty animals with craapp everywhere,or are not in on day arranged, or still in bed, or the gas meter is in a different room which nobody has the key for, I also dont work for foreign landlords as they seem to miraculously loose the ability to understand english and simple gas regs and when some rectification work is required and particularly when it comes to paying the bill, bollllockkks to all of them, they get what they deserve.

I don't do any lgsc as I don't want the hassle of running around as you say. If you look at what you can invoice, unless you are doing it day in day out, then its just small fry and wastes too much time. Also its too easy to get stitched up with liability if something goes wrong. Maybe I'm just too much of a pessimist.

Anyway, Im too busy installing these new-fangled condensing thingys! I don't mind referring lgsc to other lads who are happy to do them. As someone said recently, 'work smarter, not harder', although at the moment I seem to be working harder!

 

[ChrisR]

I'm looking at 8 a day, quite close together, at £50 each. Good part is that there are no bits to buy!

 

[PEDANTICVINDICTIVEMAN]

Flue inspection as part of LGSC is all well & good, as long as you allow yourself some slack in the billing!

I had to get at the flue of a Cannon LFE the other week - not as it happens to do a LGSC but to extract a large pigeon which had been dumb enough to fall down the (terminal-less) chimney.

Fact is that on this particular model you have to release steel draw-wires which hold the firebox onto the back wall of the opening. Coals out, bed out, disconnect gas, remove burner, undo wires, pull out fire. Remove pigeon (cross as hell! without letting it fly around the living room.) or inspect and smoke-test flue. Then reassemble fire. I defy anyone to do that, reconnect, leak test and re-check burn and pressures in less than an hour. That's ONE appliance on the LGSC!

I totally agree, that why I charge minimum of £65.00 now to do any gas work whatever it is, nobody can travel to a gas job, put a sheet down, get tools from van to area of work, do the smallest of jobs safely and to regs, sheet up and tools away, get paid and go in less than 1.5 hours